hero or Villain
by procastinating-tothemax
Summary: He supposed that old saying was true. You either Die a Hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the Villain.


Link had not been surprised at all when he left the small mountain path leading to the Gerudo Desert to be met with the spearheads of a few hundred Hyrulean Soldiers. No rather he had been expecting the rather warm welcome from the people Of Hyrule, It wasn't like they had kept their intentions towards him unclear since he left. The first time he had snuck back in he faced some rather vulgar words from a Tavern owner, much like what was being spat at him right now. The words of 'Traitor' and 'False Hero' were thrown while he stood there, his clothes dirtied, covered in sad and blood.

He no longer wore the hero's garb, no that had been removed when his battle with Ganondorf had ended, the master sword replaced in its grove and his horse given back to the family with which he had grown up back in Ordona. Once that whole business had been sorted out, he left. Turned his back on Hyrule to search for other places to fight, to live out an existence that didn't include paperwork, training the guards and listening to the Goddesses. He guessed they too stopped listening or paying attention to him, since the Triforce quickly disappeared from his left hand.

The garb he wore instead was a simple, loose top, red in colour, Brown leather Sandals that wrapped around half of his foot to protect him from the burning sands, his pants a dirty cream from the sand he had trudged through in his latest adventure. He had gotten the clothes from the Gerudo people, a tribe of women who lived in the sands, eked a living from it. They had taught him to survive in such harsh conditions, after doing them a few favours of course. One of which was riding their sacred temple of Beasts, he had done so without a sweat. He guessed it was that willingness to help for nothing but knowledge that warmed them to him. They were terribly greedy people, so appealing to them was always nice, since your stuff didn't get stolen in the middle of the night while walking through the harsh sands once you had.

His sword was a simple one he had picked up from a shop in a faraway land, simple and could do its job, the first one he had bought had dulled with the travelling and constant Fighting. It didn't help that Link had practically forgotten how to sharpen a sword after holding onto the Master sword, a sword that never dulled and cleaned itself. It is rather jarring to go from such an almighty blade to one that requires constant maintenance. But he supposed that was the life he had chosen and this was the price to pay.

That and the many looks of contempt that were now aimed at him. He shifted slightly, setting his pack better on his back, his blue eyes staring down at the spears. He rose an eyebrow as they moved forward, always like his simple shifting on a bag was going to harm them. He had no desire to fight them, rather he wished to just return to Lake Hylia, refill his water and leave once more, but from the encampment behind the row of soldiers, some-one had ratted out his spot that he returned from.

Damn. You just can't trust anyone anymore can you?

"Link Of Ordona" He heard the voice say, slightly to his left, he looked across and there she was, all done up in her pretty pink dress and brushed hair. Dainty little hands that had barely ever been in a real fight besides aiding with Ganondorf crossed over her waist, holding it slightly. He couldn't help but wonder f her corset was maybe a bit too tight. Wouldn't surprise him in the slightest, she was not a fighting Princess, "You have been charged with the crime of Treason and with Mutiny, you will lower any weapons you hold and face your judgement for these crimes."

Oh she sounded so goddamn high and mighty. Link just continued to look and then looked away, "I'm here to get water" He answered her, staring down the spears, "Move your army or I will rush right through them Princess, I you know I will. I did when you tried to trap me into settling down as a knight, and I'll do it again. I hold no promise to your crown anymore, your country is safe and I'm just a traveller now. So Move."

"Just a traveller? Hardly, you sold ways to get into Hyrule, how else do you explain the 3 raids that have occurred in the past year, by Gerudo women, people you have spoken to and stayed with?"

"I hold no sway over their actions, if they so happened to follow me getting water, and so happened to figure out this is Hyrule and so happened to Raid your towns and Villages that is not my problem. Now once again, move your army."

Zelda stood firm, refusing to move her Army and Link refused to lay his weapons down, rather he did the complete opposite he drew his blade, sliding his Hylian shield off its hook. Despite his 'betrayal' of Hyrule, he still wore its flag proud and bore its shield, he was Hylian. He just didn't follow the monarchy.

He sighed slightly and began his march forward, seeing the way the young men tremble as he moved, yet their spears did not lower. It seems the new breed of soldiers have much better training than the last. He spun his sword around his hand to check its momentum, it seemed fine, but he wouldn't know it's sharpness until he actually cut anything. And so he started, swinging his sword to destroy the spears first. The enemy lowered the spears and jabbed towards him, he jumped back, going back in before they could recover for a second barrage of spears, aiming in-between to soldiers. They moved, giving his space to get in-between their ranks, once he was there, they would hesitate to jab and swing their spears, too many comrades around. It was easy when it was them vs us, but once you get in-between an enemy and their comrades, it becomes much harder to attack for fear of hitting some-one you know.

Link had used this to his advantage in rather hostile kingdoms before, Termina came to mind, with its eerie sadness and creepy moon that floated in the sky, not quite falling thanks to a young man in green who had appeared and saved them a few centuries back. It certainly sounded like one of the Goddesses chosen Heroes, it seems he wasn't the only Hero content with sitting around and doing nothing. No he would rather go and find a good fight to take part in, even if that did mean he would have to go into underground fighting matches to find that buzz, he was just as good without a sword as with it. But now here he was.

Swinging through a sea of Blue and silver, dodging spears and blocking swords, receiving minor cuts and a few rather deep ones that he ignored for the time being. He fought much like used to, for the death and dirty, tripping up some soldiers to get an easy shot at them, head butting and aiming for vulnerable legs and arms. Slashing when a back was turned and when a shield arm faltered.

He was doing well and the he spotted that person. Blonde hair, much like his own, hair gleaming in the sun light, blue eyes, bright and clear, Innocent even. Not contaminated by a war like his own were. Years of travelling and fighting had hardened him. And now here he was, an Old man, a traitor who had been travelling for years, who had been evading Zelda for years, witnessed some-one who looked an awful lot like himself come barrelling towards him. He couldn't move, was that what he had looked like in the middle of battle?

His shield faltered, a sword slamming down on it hard, he twisted to attack back and that was the worst mistake it could have made. He had gotten distracted by one thing and then focused too much on another, and now he felt a blade sliding cleanly into his side, his eyes widening as he let out a yell of pain, falling backwards with the young man's momentum. He landed on the harsh sun baked ground beneath him, his shield slamming down near him, his arm still holding on to its best ability, he had no idea where his sword was, lost in the battle with that single soldier.

The pain was horrible, something vital had been cut, the luck of the Goddesses was no longer with him, not it seemed they had chosen a much younger youth and already seemed loyal to Zelda. How nice for them, to have given the role to some-one who would probably become just as jaded as he was. His eyes tried to focus in on the people crowding around him, one was panting hard, he guessed that was the new Hero, he spotted out the corner of his eyes a swishing material, soft, the bottom barely brushing his cheek.

His head turned slowly, his body filling with mild hatred towards the woman who had targeted and chased him to furiously across the land, trying to force him into servitude. The position had not been a bad one, but Link needed adventure, he needed to be in the thick of it and sitting around ordering troops was not going to give him that kind of life.

He weakly grasped the skirt, a few of the soldiers around him tensed up, ready to slay him if he should fight or some anything indecent. How lovely it must be to have so many bodyguards. His hand fisted the skirt, feeling anger well up again. How nice it must be to spread false accusations about him across the land and have most believe how. How fucking nice it must be to live in that big castle with servants everywhere and living off state tax.

That life was definitely not for him, His hand relaxed slightly, blood from a cut seeping slightly into her dress The rest in a puddle around him from the deep cut that had been given to him, courtesy of the new hero.. "All of this could have been avoided" she started, kicking his hand away slightly. How could she look so young and such an old age, surely she was nearing her mid 40's by now? "All you had to say was yes."

Link Chuckled slightly. Even at his deathbed she still would not stop, "That life is not for me Princess, no I would rather have this life. I would rather live freely and go where I will. I would… have preferred less slander… that would have been nice" He replied, his hand letting go as his sight began to darken. Ah if he had never come back, if only he had gone somewhere else for his water.

Although, on his death bed, he supposed that old saying was true. You either Die a Hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the Villain.

The second was certainly true for him, and as his vision turned back he wondered if the new hero's life would be the same.


End file.
